The present invention relates to the field of fencing blades, and in particular to improvements in blades used in the sport of fencing.
Prior art fencing blades are forged down from a single piece large diameter billet and are manufactured to ensure a degree of stiffness along their length between predetermined minimum and maximum limits.
A typical prior art fencing blade used in the sport of fencing has a handle end (the tang) formed into a 6 mm diameter round section followed by a short square section approximately 6.25 mm.times.6.25 mm. The tang is machined to take a hand guard, a handle and a nut or pommel that holds these parts onto the tang. The square part of the tang is formed to become a shoulder against which the guard is locked. The shoulder region is approximately 100 mm.sup.2 in square cross-section nearest the tang and, over a distance of generally between 30 and 100 mm, tapers down to a cross-sectional area of approximately 36 mm.sup.2. Then begins the working part of the blade, which tapers down to the tip to a cross-sectional area of between 7 mm.sup.2 and 12 mm.sup.2. This basic layout is common to all three types of blades presently used for fencing, namely epees, foils and sabres. Terms commonly used to identify areas of the blade are, starting from the handle end, Tang (soie), Shoulder (talon), Strong (forte) , Middle (moyenne) , Weak (foible) and Tip (point) .
As mentioned above, prior art fencing blades are made from single piece billets which are machined or worked to provide tang, shoulder and working part. However, even starting from a tapered billet, considerable wastage may occur in shaping the blade such that the cross-sectional area along the length of the blade reduces from shoulder to tip at the required rate and is of the required form. The different types of prior art blade each have a different cross-sectional form. The prior art method of manufacture is both time-consuming and requiring of skilled workmanship. Thus, prior art blades are relatively expensive to produce.